Page 16 of Wicked Bonds

The more Leela understood, the more she feared for her existence.

She was already heavily monitored for signs of humanity due to her ties to the fertility line of Seraphim. Her entire purpose for existing revolved around caring for others, marking her as at risk for experiencing emotions.

The council had programs in place to curb those sensitive inclinations.

Reformation.

Which Caro had just escaped from.

Leela didn’t know much about the requirements or what went into the process because she’d never experienced it herself. However, she’d seen what it had done to others.

And yeah, no, thanks,she thought.

It was part of the reason she kept her emotional side a secret. But she suspected the council already knew. They had a team of seers—the Fates—and Leela notoriously preferred to live among the mortals. The latter served as a dead giveaway regarding her emotional state.

Fortunately, they hadn’t chosen to pursue correction in the matter.

Perhaps because the Fates hadn’t foreseen any threat related to Leela.

Or, more likely, because the council couldn’t track her.

“Why can’t they track you?” Balthazar asked, his gaze unapologetic. He’d clearly been listening to everything she’d been thinking, including her knowledge of the council and how she preferred humans over Seraphim company.

Rather than respond out loud, she turned to show him the rune on her backside. It was a heart, just like the one Caro had given her daughter. It helped hide Leela’s whereabouts, allowing her to be a proper guardian for the daughter in question—Stas.

I received the mark when I pledged fealty to Stas,Leela explained, not bothering to shy away from Balthazar’s natural ability to read minds. She’d fix that as soon as she removed the charm Vera had etched into her skin.

“Or you could keep it,” Balthazar suggested, grabbing her hips to stop her from rotating toward him again. “I rather like your mind,” he whispered, his lips against her ear now. “It’s fascinating, Lee.”

His warmth wrapped around her as he pressed his chest to her back and his groin to her ass.

Mmm,she hummed to herself, indulging in the way they naturally fit together. His strength married her curves in a sensuous harmony that set her blood on fire.

His lips skimmed her neck, pausing at her pulse. She knew what he would feel, the escalation of her need, the desire thrumming through her veins, the craving to finish what they’d started all those months ago.

That experience had been memorable in more ways than he could imagine.

“Tell me about it,” he murmured, his breath a sensual kiss to her senses. “How many times did I make you come, Lee?”

She shivered in response, her thighs clenching as she recalled what he’d felt like inside her. Hot. Thick.Perfection.

A moan caught in her throat, the memory of their first kiss assaulting her mind. He’d tugged her into his arms with a confidence that had called to her very soul.

“No, sweetheart,” he’d said, responding to her teasing about his typical approach to courtship. “I don’t have an approach.”

“Yeah?” Leela had replied, grabbing his bare shoulders and meeting his gaze directly. “And why is that?”

He’d palmed her ass and cradled the back of her neck before replying, “Because I don’t require one.”

Then he’d taken her mouth with a boldness that she felt in his touch now, his self-assurance one of her favorite traits about him.

Balthazar knew how to tease, how to fuck, how to ensure gratification for all parties involved over and over again. She’d watched him perform several times over the last few months.

And each time, she’d indulged in the memory of their shared experience, bringing herself pleasure at the mere thought of his touch and tongue.

He grinned against her neck, his tone soft as he said, “Voyeur.”

But she felt the evidence of what that admission did to him. Sensed the hardness against her backside and knew helikedthat she’d watched him.